1.1 Investigate existing and potential customers, service users or sponsors and competitor or comparator organisations, and identify any trends in behaviour or performance

Title:

Developing excellence in operations (M6.05)

Level:

6

Credit value:

6

Learning outcomes (the learner will)

Assessment criteria (the learner can)

1 Determine the organisation’s capability to meet the current and future needs of customers, service users or sponsors

1.1

1.2

1.3

Investigate existing and potential customers, service users or sponsors and competitor or comparator organisations, and identify any trends in behaviour or performance

Evaluate the capability to meet current and future needs of customers, service users or sponsors, compare operational performance to competitor or comparator organisations and identify any opportunities for innovation and improvement

Identify models of operational excellence, innovation and best practice and evaluate their potential contribution to the organisation

2 Develop and recommend plans to improve operations to meet the needs of customers, users or other relevant sponsors

2.1

2.2

Review possible options for improvement and develop an appropriate implementation plan for developing operations

Prepare a rationale for implementing the proposed strategy, and contingency plans for dealing with risk assessment

Additional information about the unit

Unit purpose and aim(s)

To enable learners to assess how well the organisation is meeting customer requirements and make recommendations to improve performance.

Details of the relationship between the unit and relevant national occupational standards or professional standards or curricula (if appropriate)

Links to Management & Leadership 2008 NOS: F9, F10

Assessment requirements or guidance specified by a sector or regulatory body (if appropriate)

Support for the unit from a sector skills council or other appropriate body (if required)

Council for Administration (CfA)

Location of the unit within the subject/sector classification system

Business Management

Unit guided learning hours

11

Additional Guidance about the Unit Developing excellence in operations (M6.05)

Indicative Content:

1

• Concept of industry sectors, customer segmentation and market penetration to analyse the market
• Concept of internal and external customers (including service users and sponsors), and their importance as the focus of the organisation’s activities
• Means of identifying potential customers and assessing their diversity
• Methods of identifying current and forecasting future levels of demand (quantitative techniques, such as time series and regression analysis, and qualitative techniques such asDelphi, expert judgement, life cycle and market research)
• Excellence models (e.g. EQFM, IiP), Business Process Re-engineering, benchmarking and other techniques for assessing and revising corporate performance and operational strategy
• Assessing risk and uncertainty
• Organisation’s policies relating to customers

2

• Models of operational performance assessment (e.g. PESTLE, Ansoff, Boston Consulting
• Group, etc)
• Techniques for stimulating creative ideas and the development of innovation
• Operational planning, including planning for contingencies
• Networking, negotiation and persuasion skills
• Ways to promote commitment in others